The evolution of wireless communication technology has created a reliance on mobile electronic devices. These mobile electronic devices are connected to transceiver systems, such as a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), to form a wireless network. The wireless network uses Radio Frequency (RF) signals for communication between a BTS and a mobile electronic device. Such a wireless network is divided into multiple cells, which are geographical areas covered by one or more BTSs. Each of these cells receives different wireless coverage, depending on strength of the RF signals, and the location of the mobile electronic device relative to the BTS.
The strength of RF signals in a cell is governed by factors such as the terrain and infrastructure at the geographic area, the environment of surrounding cells, etc. For example, there is a significant loss in the strength of RF signals when a user is in a low mobility area, such as, a building, a subway, and so forth. Such areas have low user movement. Such geographic areas therefore represent low mobility areas that have undesirable wireless service. The loss in the strength of the RF signals results in call failures, i.e., calls established between the mobile electronic device and the BTS is dropped. Such call failures are more predominant in the low mobility areas due to inadequate strength of the RF signals. Therefore, there is a need to identify such low mobility areas.
A known method for identifying low mobility areas uses a portable signal analyzer to detect the strength of RF signals in a real time environment. The signal analyzer is used as a backpack kit carried on a person's back. The signal analyzer has an arm held computing device that displays relevant information in real time and records the same. The person carrying the signal analyzer moves through a geographic area under consideration and collects the relevant information. However, the method is cumbersome and not feasible since the person has to traverse all the locations to be analyzed.
In another method, a software tool is used for wireless system planning, testing and determining low mobility areas. The software tool is fitted into a vehicle or any other means of transportation, and traversed through a geographical area under consideration. The tool helps in obtaining and analyzing information (in a real time environment) corresponding to various RF metrics, such as RF signal strength, distance between the mobile electronic device and the location of various BTS in the geographic area under consideration, and so forth. The information collected is used to identify geographic areas with weak RF signals. However, the tool obtains the information only for a pre-defined path, within the geographic area, in which the tool is traversing. Moreover, manual assistance is required for driving through the pre-defined path to collect the information for further analysis.
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